Sweet Child of Mine
by Crimzy
Summary: AUMPreg. Young Saki disobeys her parents and tries to kill demons on her own due to a dare. Gokai and Koumyou follow her and fall into trouble as well. Gojyo must teach her what true acceptance is.
1. Unacceptable

**Sweet Child of Mine**

Written by Crim

**Disclaimer**: Gojyo, Hakkai, Sanzo, Goku, Kanzeon Bosatsu and the Saiyuki series belong to Kazuya Minekura. Sha-Cho Saki, Sha-Cho Gokai, and Son Koumyou are original characters that belong to Yomigaere, Hadisia, and myself. This story is based on our **AU/MPreg** storyline. For more info, visit our LJ community: Don't like AU, MPreg/Yaoi, and original characters? Then don't bother reading this fic.

"_She's got a smile that it seems to me_

_Reminds me of childhood memories._

_Where everything_

_Was as fresh as the bright blue sky._

_Now and then when I see her face,_

_She takes me away to that_

_Special place_

_And if I stared too long_

_I'd probably break down and cry._"

- "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N Roses

The spring afternoon brought about a sense of peacefulness and tranquility. That took some getting used to for Hakkai and Gojyo. It would only be a temporary hiatus, for their children were outside the house playing with the other kids their age. They had taken a respite from their journey West for their kids' sake. The twins needed more interaction since their nomadic lifestyle only brings about brief introductions and nominal acquaintances. Raising kids is a journey of its own, so a sojourn was long overdue for the Sanzo-ikkou. They had picked out a small-knit community without any threats of demon invasions. Sudden attacks are bound to happen no matter where they go, but in the meanwhile the travelers might as well enjoy their vacation.

"She's so much like you." Hakkai was gazing out the window as he washed the dishes from lunchtime. His daughter's facial expressions and attitude caught his attention. Gojyo was preoccupied with smoking his cigarette, something he's actually cutting down by only using it when the kids weren't around. The kappa looked back at his lover completely perplexed and unaware of what Hakkai was talking about. "Saki-chan is growing up to be like you, Gojyo," Hakkai clarified. Gojyo dragged himself to look out the window. There she was— a mischievous brunette striking caution with those emerald, cat-like eyes.

"There's no way I'm playing that stupid game! Pick something else!" The young girl confronted the apparent leader of the group of kids, unaware of her on-looking parents from inside the house.

Saki was a blatant resemblance to Hakkai, but her witty, straightforward, and stubborn attitude was undoubtedly derived from her half-demon father. Saki spoke her mind and since she was usually the only girl in the groups, she developed a tomboy personality and used her short fuse to stand up for herself.

"Onee-chan, calm down. I'm sure we can all think of something to play together." Gokai stepped in. Saki may be the older twin, but Gokai was needed to knock some reason into her.

"Heh. And Gokai's like you," Gojyo smirked with his cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. Gokai was more timid and levelheaded, seeking reason before striking. He was reluctant to join the other kids in the beginning because he wanted to finish the military novels he's so fixed up on. No one knew where he picked up that hobby from.

Gokai shared the same green eyes as his twin, but possessed the crimson hair of a half-breed. Amongst their genetic makeup are remnants of a demon half-breed. They were 75 demon. How would others react to that? Half demons were shunned from society and demons are feared amongst humans. Where would these children fit? It shouldn't be something to be ashamed of. You can't help what you are.

Along with Sanzo and Goku's daughter, Koumyou, the kids were on the most part happy and lived a life free from any emotional scars. Hakkai and Gojyo watched as their toddlers engage in game that looked like tag. Little Koumyou was added onto the merriment as well.

"Whatever it is they're playing, they're really having fun with it," Gojyo pointed out.

Hakkai smiled in agreement. "Although... it looks like those skies aren't going to remain clear for long. It might rain soon."

"Saki and Gokai will be fine, right? There's no need for us to be watching them the whole time. So... why don't we go off and have a little fun on our own." Gojyo nudged Hakkai with his elbow and winked at him with those crimson eyes.

Hakkai chuckled at Gojyo's desperate plea. "But the kids are just outside. What if they suddenly come back inside?"

"Ah... come on, Hakkai. Saki can't stay still for a second. She and Gokai will be out there for quite some time. Don't you think we deserve some play time too?" the redhead persistently coaxed due to the fact that being a parent took away precious one-on-one time with your spouse.

Hakkai knew he needed some action too. There was no use in arguing so he gave in. "Alright... just be alert."

"You worry too much. Let's go and don't rush me. It's not fun that way." Gojyo shoved Hakkai towards their bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Outside, the kids were screaming and laughing as they chased each other around the open field. A few were making roaring sounds and pretended to slash at the others with their imaginary claws. Saki played as one of the intimidating beasts, but still felt unmoved about the game. "This is so boring," she crossed her arms and pouted.

"Hey! You voted for this game too!" one kid replied.

"Well, it was either this or tag. I thought playing 'Demon Slayer' would be more interesting than that. Was I ever wrong! This is nothing compared to the real deal." Saki boasted. Gokai crept behind his older twin and tugged on her shirt, trying to signal her to stop talking. It was such a feeble attempt since Saki is too stubborn to listen.

"Oh yeah? What makes you the expert?" the same kid rudely asked.

"Ha! My family faces demons on a daily basis so I experience the real thing. Real demons don't stand a chance."

"Not really... onee-chan..." Gokai said reluctantly. They would usually wait in the jeep or somewhere safe while their parents fought battles.

"Hey, isn't your dad the one with the red hair and eyes? I heard that those are the colors of a half demon!" One of the kids from the crowd pointed out.

"Yeah! And my mom said that the other one was wearing power limiters!" another boy added.

"So, you're a demon too then! What makes you think that you're so good when you're the same as them?!" The group of kids grew restless and continued criticizing Saki for her mixed blood. The words were mild only because they came from the mouth of little kids, but they were strong enough to strike a nerve in Saki.

The bickering calmed down as soon as the apparent leader of the group decided to speak. "Alright then! I hear that there's a threat of demons lurking around in the outskirts of the village. If you're some 'demon exterminator', then you should go out there and pulverize them before they get here... demon mutt!"

Saki was completely enraged by the boy's insulting words. She clenched her fist and prevented herself from punching the lights out of him and the rest of his stupid followers. She thought about the boy's dare and agreed without hesitation. Gokai remembered what his parents told them about staying out of trouble, especially when it involved demons. He stepped up towards his sister to try and stop her, but Koumyou grabbed onto Gokai from behind. "You know she won't listen..." she whispered. Koumyou was right about that. Gokai wasn't sure what to do so he decided to follow Saki in case she needed him around.

The group of kids led Saki and Gokai to the demon tribe's lair in the deep woods, miles away from the village. The gray clouds were starting to patch up and they have been hiking for a long time now. Gokai glanced up at Saki. She didn't look weary or afraid at all. Her eyes were compelled to show the others what she's capable of. _"What is she thinking? How can she even go against a band of demons without a weapon? She barely knows how to control her chi orbs,"_ Gokai thought to himself

A loud roar descended from the skies above. Tiny droplets of rain came pouring down gradually. "Looks like we got more than we bargained for," Koumyou tried to cover her head from getting soaked.

"The demons should be right over there, Saki." The pompous brat smirked at her, just anticipating her embarrassing defeat. They all took cover behind the bushes. Saki laid low too so she could survey her adversaries, then darted towards the unsuspecting demons. Saki made her presence known by her shrill battle cry. The birds scattered from atop the forest trees and a devastating blow had been struck shortly afterwards.

"ONEE-SAN!" Gokai's terrified yell echoed throughout the dense forest, tainted with fear of what he had just witnessed.


	2. Recovery

Chapter 2

Same Disclaimer from the previous chapter still applies.

Some sort of parental instinct had triggered Gojyo's psyche. He pulled himself up from bed with his eyes moved by anxiety. He exchanged glances with Hakkai because they knew very well something was amiss. They gathered themselves together and rushed outside. There was no sign of their children, not even any of the others they had been playing with earlier. The place was empty and the fog was growing thicker. Multiple figures amongst the gray atmosphere were coming toward them. Gojyo and Hakkai squinted in order to clearly identify who it could be. The silhouettes got closer and more familiar. Saki was being held in between Koumyou and Gokai. One arm was wrapped around Koumyou's shoulder and the other was around Gokai's shoulder. Her face was pale and unconscious, but even more mortifying was the gash in her torso. The falling rain rinsed away some of the bloody residue from Saki's body, leaving a crimson puddle below her. Gojyo's heart had practically dropped at the instant he saw his daughter's condition. "Saki..." his voice trailed off.

"What were you doing over there?!" Gojyo was infuriated. Gokai was too scared to answer. Parts of his clothes had been torn, exposing his own wounds underneath.

Hakkai tended to Saki at her bedside. The child's body lied motionless on the bed. Her bruised flesh was inches in diameter over her right ribs, along with a swollen and bloody scar where the demon's claws had pierced through. "She must've lost a lot of blood on their way back here."

"Gokai! Why didn't you stop her? You know you're not supposed to pick fights with demons unless we're there!"

Gokai lowered his head in shame, feeling completely powerless to answer. Hakkai sympathized with his son and tried to calm Gojyo down. "You know how Saki is, Gojyo. She would've gone either way."

"Even so, what Saki did was stupid. I can't believe her, especially when she knows that she doesn't have an effective weapon yet." Gojyo stormed out of the room in total frustration.

"She just..." Gokai tried to utter, but a lump in his throat prevented him from finishing.

Hakkai tried to ease the child with his soothing smile. "It's alright, Gokai. Just go wash up. When you finish, come back and I'll bandage up those wounds." Gokai obediently did was he was told and left.

Saki slowly opened her eyes in response to what she had just heard. Hakkai turned around and saw a tear from her emerald eyes roll down her cheeks. "Daddy... daddy hates me."

The room next door to the Sha-Cho family's was the Son family's room at the inn. Goku was nursing Koumyou back to health. Sanzo was just as enraged as Gojyo, but allowed his cigarette to sedate him as he tried to get answers from his daughter. "Why did you go with them? You should've went to us and told us what they were about to do. Now look what happened. You got mixed in with it too."

"I know, but I _had_ to go," Koumyou said bluntly.

"No you didn't. Since when did you follow the whims of other people?"

"It wasn't about that. Those kids... they made fun of Saki for being a 'demon mutt.' I guess that bothered me too because... I'm not fully human either."

Sanzo finally came to an understanding of his daughter's actions. Hakkai learned of the situation as well while he listened to Saki's explanation. Her sentences paused in between tears and sniffling, feeling distraught about the pain of the boys' mocking remarks and the guilt of her father's disappointment. Hakkai wiped away the stream of tears from Saki's face with a tissue and tried to calm her down. "I see now, Saki. It's not completely your fault."

"I just wanted to..."

"Prove yourself?" Hakkai finished her sentence. Saki looked at him with glistening green eyes and nodded. "You don't need to prove _anything_ to anyone. Let people accept you for who you are, not _what_ you are. Those who judge you for being partially demon aren't worthy of your respect.

Saki wiped her eyes dry from the tears. "You're right." With that, she clung onto Hakkai tightly.

Hakkai hugged her back. Saki was relieved, but her other father's disappointment in her still left her worried. "I'm gonna go see how Gokai's doing. Will you be alright?" Hakkai said with a smile. Saki nodded. Hakkai opened the door and outside he saw Gojyo leaning against the wall with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "Oh. So you've heard?" Hakkai closed the door slowly behind him.

"Yeah. Every word." Gojyo put his hand in his pocket and headed outside. "I'll be back soon." The door slammed shut and Gojyo's presence faded away as he entered the fog. Hakkai had a sense of where he was headed.

"Is that it, then? Acceptance? I guess I can't be totally angry with you, Saki-chan,' Gojyo said to himself. He knew how it was to yearn for acceptance as well. He finally made it to the forest glades. The rustling of the bushes caught the demon tribe's attention. They saw the red haired half-breed stand before them. His presence was of no alarm- a deadly mistake. "So. You're the demons who attacked my kids, eh?"

"Those were you're kids, huh? They were the ones who attacked us first. Anyone who steps in our territory is instantly set to die. Ha. No wonder they were so easy to beat. They have a half breed for a father," the pack leader replied arrogantly.

"Half-breed, full-breed. What does it matter? I'm still gonna kick your ass." Gojyo raised his arm up and a beam of light appeared in the palm of his hands. The light extended and morphed into a steel staff with a crescent blade at the top. "Anyone who dares to mess with my kids especially my daughter, Saki, will not live to even try to apologize!"

The demon leader laughed at Gojyo's remark. "You're lucky that they were sent home alive!"

Gojyo smirked. "No, _you're_ lucky that they're still alive. Otherwise... I wouldn't go easy on you!" Gojyo whipped out his Shakujou, allowing the iron chains to bolt out of the staff. The sharp crescent blade took a slash at each of the surrounding demons and then returned to its steel rod like a boomerang. Gojyo had wiped out about half of the pack of demons with a single flick of his wrist. "Come on. Shall we begin?" Gojyo refrained from showing off and got back to business. He slaughtered the multitude of demons on his own—for the sake of his beloved daughter.

Saki looked out the window and noticed how late it must be. The thick darkness had consumed the once bright skies. "Mama, where's daddy?" Saki pulled her blanket over her mouth.

"He'll be back soon. Don't worry," Hakkai ran his hands through Gokai's crimson hair. The young boy had fallen asleep on his mama's lap due to exhaustion. The door in the lobby creaked and the sounds of footsteps seemed to come closer. A muffled "Hey" was heard from outside the room's door. "Ah, there he is now. It's open, Gojyo." Gojyo opened the door. He was completely disheveled with a few scrapes here and there. Hakkai mumbled Gojyo's name in concern for his condition, but Gojyo didn't show signs of pain. He and Hakkai exchanged looks for a minute and Hakkai understood what his lover was asking of him. "Well then, I should go and put Gokai on the other bed for now. I'll go get a bath ready for you, Gojyo." Hakkai carried his son in his arms and left the room.

Saki saw how she was now stuck alone with her father. She pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes. Gojyo smiled because the manner that Saki had done that in was with utterly cute. She acted like a timid bunny. "Of all the things... Saki, you're afraid of me?" He lifted the blanket off her face and revealed his smile for her. He stared into those bright emerald eyes of hers. They were filled with shame and discomfort. Gojyo was too familiar with that look within her eyes. It brought up his past memories as a child. He didn't want to look at those eyes filled with an ounce of pain.

Saki snatched the piece of the blanket back and hid again. "It's okay. I know you must hate me," her voice murmured from underneath the covers.

"Don't be ridiculous. I would never hate you. I was just angry because you disobeyed me and you put your brother _and_ yourself in danger. Don't think that I was the only one mad. Sanzo-ji_chan_ must be pissed off cuz you put Koumyou in harm's way too."

"Hey! I never asked them to follow me!" she poked her head out of the covers.

"They only followed you because they wanted to prove themselves and be accepted too. Isn't that what it was all about? Acceptance?"

Saki was silent for a while. "Yeah... I guess I wanted to show off how cool I can be... that even though I'm partially demon that I could defend myself from demons too. And that I'm not like those vicious demons that everyone fears."

Gojyo sat down on the bed beside Saki. "... And you think that slaying those demons for no reason makes you any less of a demon?"

Saki realized his point. "But you guys do it all the time!"

"No, we only kill them because they're in our way and threaten us. We don't go around killing every single demon in each town. We're not super heroes or defenders of justice; we just get rid of those who get in our way. Like that band of demons... It was wrong to pick a fight with them, but since they messed with you, that was the perfect reason to get even."

Saki sat up and crawled closer to her father with wide eyes. "You took out those demons? For me?"

"Of course. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. My family is the world to me," Gojyo said with sincerity. Saki's bandaged arms wrapped themselves around her daddy's waist, overwhelmed with happiness. Gojyo was caught off guard, but smiled. "One more thing, Saki. You don't have to worry about people's acceptance of you." Gojyo paused and thought about the hardships he went through in an attempt to get his stepmother's acceptance of him. He never could gain it—all because of what he was. Saki shouldn't feel inferior compared to everyone else just because of the mixed blood flowing through her veins. Could she help what she is? It's not like these kids were asked what they wanted to be when they were born. If anything, Saki and Gokai are the products of a genuine bond of love between Hakkai and himself, made tangible with the power of the goddess, Kanzeon Bosatsu.

"I know, daddy. People should accept me for _who_ I am, not what I am. Mama said the same thing to me before," Saki said as she looked up at her father.

"He did, huh? So you understand? You're my one and only Sha-Cho Saki and nothing can ever change that. I guess that's what makes you special, ne?"

The seven year old grinned whole-heartedly and nodded. "Yeah!"

"To tell you the truth, I would've rather you beat up those brats instead of those demons. They were the ones that were teasing you in the first place, right?" Gojyo said half-jokingly.

Saki laughed at what her father said. "Yeah, it probably would've been much more easier that way." Saki paused and there was a still silence for a while. "Daddy..."

"Yeah?" Gojyo looked down at his daughter, who was lying on his lap.

"I love you," Saki said softly.

"I love you too... sweet child of mine."


End file.
